Sri Krishna Madbhagavatam
33. Vidyādhara Liberated and the
Demon Śaṅkhāsura Killed
Once upon a time, the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, desired to go to
Ambikāvana to perform the Śivarātri performance. The rāsa-līlā was performed
during the autumn, and after that the next big ceremony is Holi or the
Dolayātrā ceremony. Between the Dolayātrā ceremony and the rāsa-līlā ceremony
there is one important ceremony which is called Śivarātri, which is especially
observed by the Śaivites, or devotees of Lord Śiva. But sometimes the Vaiṣṇavas also observe this ceremony because they accept
Lord Śiva as the foremost Vaiṣṇava. But the function of Śivarātri is
not observed very regularly by the bhaktas, or devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Under the circumstances, it is stated in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the cowherd men headed by Nanda Mahārāja "once upon
a time desired." That means that they were not regularly observing the
Śivarātri function but that once upon a time they wanted to go to Ambikāvana
out of curiosity. Ambikāvana is situated somewhere in the Gujarat province.
Ambikāvana is said to be situated on the river Sarasvatī, yet we do not find
any Sarasvatī River in the Gujarat province; the only river there is Savarmati.
In India, all the big places of pilgrimage are situated on nice rivers like the
Ganges, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Narmadā, Godāvarī, Kāverī, etc. Ambikāvana was
situated on the bank of Sarasvatī, and all the cowherd men and Nanda Mahārāja
went there.
They very devotedly began to worship
the deity of Lord Śiva and Ambikā. It is the general practice that wherever
there is a temple of Lord Śiva, there must be another temple of Ambikā (or
Durgā) because Ambikā is the wife of Lord Śiva and is the most exalted of
chaste women. She doesn't live outside the association of her husband. After
reaching Ambikāvana, the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana
first bathed themselves in the river Sarasvatī. If one goes to any place of
pilgrimage, his first duty is to take a bath and sometimes to shave his head.
That is the first business. After taking bath, they worshiped the deities and
then distributed charity in the holy places.
According to the Vedic system, charity
is given to the brāhmaṇas. It is stated in the Vedic śāstras
that only the brāhmaṇas and the sannyāsīs can accept
charity. The cowherd men from Vṛndāvana gave cows decorated with golden
ornaments and beautiful garlands. The brāhmaṇas
are given charity because they are not engaged in any business profession. They
are supposed to be engaged in brahminical occupations, as described in the
Bhagavad-gītā--namely, they must be very learned and must perform austerity and
penances. They must not only themselves be learned, but they must also teach
others. Brāhmaṇas are not meant to be brāhmaṇas alone; they should create other brāhmaṇas also. If a man is found who agrees to become a
brāhmaṇa's disciple, he is also given the chance to become
a brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa is
always engaged in the worship of Lord Viṣṇu.
Therefore the brāhmaṇas are eligible to accept all kinds of
charity. But if the brāhmaṇas receive excess charity, they are to
distribute it for the service of Viṣṇu. In the Vedic scripture, therefore,
one is recommended to give in charity to the brāhmaṇas,
and by so doing one pleases Lord Viṣṇu and all the demigods.
The pilgrims take bath, worship the
Deity, and give in charity; they are also recommended to fast one day. They
should go to a place of pilgrimage and stay there at least for three days. The
first day is spent fasting, and at night they can drink a little water because
water does not break the fast.
The cowherd men, headed by Nanda
Mahārāja, spent that night on the bank of the Sarasvatī. They fasted all day
and drank a little water at night. But while they were taking their rest, a
great serpent from the nearby forest appeared before them and hungrily began to
swallow up Nanda Mahārāja. Nanda began to cry helplessly, "My dear son, Kṛṣṇa, please come and save me from this danger! This
serpent is swallowing me!" When Nanda Mahārāja cried for help, all the
cowherd men got up and saw what was happening. They immediately took up burning
logs and began to beat the snake to kill it. But in spite of being beaten with
burning logs, the serpent was not about to give up swallowing Nanda Mahārāja.
At that time Kṛṣṇa
appeared on the scene and touched the serpent with His lotus feet. Immediately
upon being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa,
the serpent shed its reptilian body and appeared as a very beautiful demigod
named Vidyādhara. His bodily features were so beautiful that he appeared to be
worshipable. There was a luster and effulgence emanating from his body, and he
was garlanded with a gold necklace. He offered obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa and stood before Him with great humility. Kṛṣṇa then asked the demigod, "You appear to be a
very nice demigod and to be favored by the goddess of fortune. How is it that
you performed such abominable activities, and how did you get the body of a
serpent?" The demigod then began to narrate the story of his previous
life.
"My dear Lord," he said,
"in my previous life I was named Vidyādhara and was known all over the
world for my beauty. Because I was a celebrated personality, I used to travel
all over in my airplane. While traveling, I saw a great sage named Āṅgirā. He was very ugly, and because I was very
proud of my beauty, I laughed at him. Due to this sinful action, I was
condemned by the great sage to assume the form of a serpent."
One should note here that before being
favored by Kṛṣṇa, a person is always under the modes of material
nature, however elevated he may be materially. Vidyādhara was a materially
elevated demigod, and he was very beautiful. He also held a great material
position and was able to travel all over by airplane. Yet he was condemned to
become a serpent in his next life. Any materially elevated person can be
condemned to an abominable species of life if he is not careful. It is a
misconception that after reaching the human body one is never degraded.
Vidyādhara himself states that even though he was a demigod, he was condemned
to become a serpent. But because he was touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately came to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. He admitted, however, that in his previous life he was actually
sinful. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that he is always the
servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa; he is most insignificant, and
whatever good he does is by the grace of Kṛṣṇa
and the spiritual master.
The demigod Vidyādhara continued to
speak to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. "Because I was very proud of the exquisite
beauty of my body," he said, "I derided the ugly features of the
great sage Āṅgirā. He cursed me for my sin, and I became a snake.
Now I consider that this curse by the sage was not at all a curse; it was a
great benediction for me. Had he not cursed me, I would not have assumed the
body of a serpent and would not have been kicked by Your lotus feet and thus
freed from all material contamination."
In material existence, four things are
very valuable: to be born in a decent family, to be very rich, to be very
learned, and to be very beautiful. These are considered to be material assets.
Unfortunately, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these material assets
sometimes become sources of sin and degradation. Despite Vidyādhara's being a
demigod and having a beautiful body, he was condemned to the body of a snake
due to pride. A snake is considered to be the most cruel and envious living
entity, but those who are human beings and are envious of others are considered
to be even more vicious than snakes. The snake can be subdued or controlled by
charming mantras and herbs, but a person who is envious cannot be controlled by
anyone.
"My dear
Lord," Vidyādhara continued, "Now since I think I have become freed
from all kinds of sinful activities, I am asking Your permission to return to
my abode, the heavenly planet." This request indicates that persons who
are attached to fruitive activities, desiring promotion to the comforts of
higher planetary systems, cannot achieve their ultimate goal of life without
the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is also stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā that the less intelligent want to achieve material benefits and
therefore worship different kinds of demigods, but they actually get the
benediction from the demigods through the permission of Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. Demigods have no power to bestow
material profit. Even if one is attached to material benediction, he can
worship Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and ask Him. Kṛṣṇa is completely able to give even
material benediction. There is a difference, however, in asking material
benediction from the demigods and from Kṛṣṇa. Dhruva Mahārāja worshiped the
Supreme Personality of Godhead for material benediction, but when he actually
achieved the favor of the Supreme Lord and saw Him, he was so satisfied that he
refused to accept any material benediction. The intelligent person does not ask
favors from or worship the demigods; he directly becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if he has any desire
for material benefit, he asks Kṛṣṇa, not the demigods.
Vidyādhara, awaiting permission of Kṛṣṇa to return to the heavenly planets, said,
"Now because I am touched by Your lotus feet, I am relieved from all kinds
of material pangs. You are the most powerful of all mystics. You are the
original Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the master of all the
devotees. You are the provider of the planetary systems, and therefore I am
asking Your permission. You may accept me as fully surrendered unto You. I know
very well that persons who are constantly engaged in chanting Your holy name
attain release from all sinful reactions, and certainly persons who are
fortunate enough to be personally touched by Your lotus feet are freed.
Therefore I am sure that I am now relieved from the curse of the brāhmaṇa simply by being touched by Your lotus feet."
The cowherd men who had come to execute the ritualistic function of worshiping Lord Śiva and Ambikā finished their business and prepared to return to Vṛndāvana. While returning, they recalled the wonderful activities of Kṛṣṇa. By relating the incident of Vidyādhara's deliverance, they became more attached to Kṛṣṇa. They had come to worship Lord Śiva and Ambikā, but they became more and more attached to Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the gopīs also worshiped goddess Kātyāyanī to become more and more attached to Kṛṣṇa. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that persons who are attached to worshiping demigods like Lord Brahmā, Śiva, Indra and Candra, for some personal benefit, are less intelligent and have forgotten the real purpose of life. But the cowherd men, inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, were no ordinary men. Whatever they did, they did for Kṛṣṇa. If one worships demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā to become more attached to Kṛṣṇa, that is approved. But if one goes to the demigods for some personal benefit, that is condemned.
After this incident, on a very pleasant night, both Kṛṣṇa and His elder brother Balarāma, who are inconceivably powerful, went into the forest of Vṛndāvana. They were accompanied by the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, and they began to enjoy each other's company. The young damsels of Vraja were very nicely dressed and anointed with pulp of sandalwood and decorated with flowers. The moon was shining in the sky, surrounded by glittering stars, and the breeze was blowing, bearing the aroma of mallikā flowers, and the bumblebees were mad after the aroma. Taking advantage of the pleasing atmosphere, both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma began to sing very melodiously. The damsels became so absorbed in Their rhythmical song that they almost forgot themselves; their hair loosened, their dresses slackened, and their garlands began to fall to the ground.
At that time, while they were so much absorbed, almost in madness, a demon associate of Kuvera (the treasurer of the heavenly planets) appeared on the scene. The demon's name was Śaṅkhāsura because on his head there was a valuable jewel resembling a conchshell. Just as the two sons of Kuvera were puffed up over their wealth and opulence and did not care for Nārada Muni's presence, this Śaṅkhāsura was also puffed up over material opulence. He thought that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were two ordinary cowherd boys enjoying the company of many beautiful girls. Generally, in the material world, a person with riches thinks that all beautiful women should be enjoyed by him. Śaṅkhāsura also thought that, since he belonged to the rich community of Kuvera, he, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, should enjoy the company of so many beautiful girls. He therefore decided to take charge of them. He appeared before Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and the damsels of Vraja and began to lead the girls away to the north. He commanded them as if he were their proprietor and husband, despite the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Being forcibly taken away by Śaṅkhāsura, the damsels of Vraja began to call the names of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for protection. The two brothers immediately began to follow them, taking up big logs in Their hands. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," They called to the gopīs. "We are coming at once to chastise this demon." Very quickly They reached Śaṅkhāsura. Thinking the brothers too powerful, Śaṅkhāsura left the company of the gopīs and ran for fear of his life. But Kṛṣṇa would not let him go. He entrusted the gopīs to the care of Balarāma and followed Śaṅkhāsura wherever he fled. Kṛṣṇa wanted to take the valuable jewel resembling a conchshell from the head of the demon. After following him a very short distance, Kṛṣṇa caught him, struck his head with His fist and killed him. He then took the valuable jewel and returned. In the presence of all the damsels of Vraja, He presented the valuable jewel to His elder brother Balarāma.
34. The Gopīs' Feelings of
Separation
The gopīs of Vṛndāvana
were so attached to Kṛṣṇa that they were not satisfied simply
with the rāsa dance at night. They wanted to associate with Him and enjoy His
company during the daytime also. When Kṛṣṇa
went to the forest with His cowherd boy friends and cows, the gopīs did not
physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts
went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of
separation. To acquire this strong feeling of separation is the teaching of
Lord Caitanya and His direct disciplic succession of Gosvāmīs. When we are not
in physical contact with Kṛṣṇa, we can associate with Him like the gopīs,
through feelings of separation. Kṛṣṇa's transcendental form, qualities,
pastimes, and entourage are all identical with Him. There are nine different
kinds of devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in
feelings of separation elevates the devotee to the highest perfectional level,
to the level of the gopīs.
It is stated in Śrīnivāsācārya's prayer
to the six Gosvāmīs that they left the material opulences of government service
and the princely status of life and went to Vṛndāvana,
where they lived just like ordinary mendicants, begging from door to door. But
they were so much enriched with the gopīs' feelings of separation that they
enjoyed transcendental pleasure at every moment. Similarly, when Lord Caitanya
was at Jagannātha Purī, He was in the role of Rādhārāṇī,
feeling the separation of Kṛṣṇa. Those who are in the disciplic
succession of the Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya should also feel the
separation of Kṛṣṇa, worship His transcendental form, and
discuss His transcendental teachings, His pastimes, His qualities, His
entourage and His associations. The spiritual masters should enrich the
devotees to the highest devotional perfection. Feeling constant separation
while engaged in the service of the Lord is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The gopīs used to discuss Kṛṣṇa amongst themselves, and their talks were as
follows. "My dear friends," one gopī said, "do you know that
when Kṛṣṇa lies on the ground He rests on His left elbow,
and His head rests on His left hand? He moves His attractive eyebrows while
playing His flute with His delicate fingers, and the sound He produces creates
such a nice atmosphere that the denizens of the heavenly planets, who travel in
space with their wives and beloved, stop their airplanes, for they are stunned by
the vibration of the flute. The wives of the demigods who are seated in the
planes then become very much ashamed of their singing and musical
qualifications. Not only that, but they become afflicted with conjugal love,
and their hair and tightened dresses immediately loosen."
Another gopī said, "My dear
friends, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful that the goddess of fortune
always remains on His chest, and He is always adorned with a golden necklace.
Beautiful Kṛṣṇa plays His flute in order to enliven the hearts of
many devotees. He is the only friend of the suffering living entities. When He
plays His flute, all the cows and other animals of Vṛndāvana,
although engaged in eating, simply take a morsel of food in their mouths and
stop chewing. Their ears raise up and they become stunned. They do not appear
alive but like painted animals. Kṛṣṇa's flute playing is so attractive that
even the animals become enchanted, and what to speak of ourselves."
Another gopī said, "My dear
friends, not only living animals, but even inanimate objects like the rivers
and lakes of Vṛndāvana also become stunned when Kṛṣṇa passes with peacock feathers on His head and His
body smeared with the minerals of Vṛndāvana. With leaves and flowers
decorating His body, He looks like some hero. When He plays on His flute and
calls the cows with Balarāma, the River Yamunā stops flowing and waits for the
air to carry dust from His lotus feet. The River Yamunā is unfortunate like us;
it does not get Kṛṣṇa's mercy. The river simply remains
stunned, stopping its waves just as we also stop crying out of frustration for
Kṛṣṇa."
In the absence of Kṛṣṇa the gopīs were constantly shedding tears, but
sometimes, when they expected that Kṛṣṇa was coming, they would stop crying.
But when they saw that Kṛṣṇa was not coming, then again they would
become frustrated and begin to cry. Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of
Godhead, the origin of all Viṣṇu forms, and the cowherd boys are all
demigods. Lord Viṣṇu is always worshiped and surrounded by
different demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Indra, Candra, and others. When
Kṛṣṇa traveled through the Vṛndāvana
forest or walked on the Govardhana Hill, He was accompanied by the cowherd
boys. While walking, He played His flute, just to call His cows. Just by His
association, the trees, plants and other vegetation in the forest immediately
became Kṛṣṇa conscious. A Kṛṣṇa
conscious person sacrifices everything for Kṛṣṇa.
Although trees and plants are not very advanced in consciousness, by the
association of Kṛṣṇa and His friends they also became Kṛṣṇa conscious. They then want to deliver
everything--whatever they have--their fruits, flowers, and the honey
incessantly falling from their branches
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When Kṛṣṇa walked on the bank of the Yamunā,
He was seen nicely decorated with tilaka on His head. He was garlanded with
different kinds of forest flowers, and His body was smeared by the pulp of
sandalwood and tulasī leaves. The bumblebees became mad after the treasure
and sweet nectar of the atmosphere. Being pleased by the humming sound of the
bees, Kṛṣṇa would play His flute, and together
the sounds became so sweet to hear that the aquatics, the cranes, swans and
ducks and other birds were charmed. Instead of swimming or flying, they
became stunned. They closed their eyes and entered a trance of meditation in
worship of Kṛṣṇa.
One gopī said,
"My dear friend, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are nicely dressed with earrings
and pearl necklaces. They enjoy Themselves on the top of Govardhana Hill, and
everything becomes absorbed in transcendental pleasure when Kṛṣṇa plays on His flute, charming the
whole created manifestation. When He plays, the clouds stop their loud
thundering, out of fear of Him. Rather than disturb the vibration of His
flute, they respond with mild thunder and so congratulate Kṛṣṇa, their friend."
Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the friend of the
cloud because both the cloud and Kṛṣṇa satisfy the people when they are disturbed.
When the people are burning due to excessive heat, the cloud satisfies them
with rain. Similarly, when people in materialistic life become disturbed by
the blazing fire of material pangs, Kṛṣṇa gives them relief. The cloud and Kṛṣṇa, having the same bodily color also,
are considered to be friends. Desiring to congratulate its superior friend,
the cloud poured not water but small flowers and covered the head of Kṛṣṇa to protect Him from the scorching
sunshine.
One of the gopīs
told mother Yaśodā, "My dear mother, your son is very expert among the
cowherd boys. He knows all the different arts, how to tend the cows and how
to play the flute. He composes His own songs, and to sing them He puts His
flute to His mouth. When He plays, either in the morning or in the evening,
all the demigods, like Lord Śiva, Brahmā, Indra and Candra, bow their heads
and listen with great attention. Although they are very learned and expert,
they cannot understand the musical arrangements of Kṛṣṇa's flute. They simply listen
attentively and try to understand, but become bewildered and nothing
more."
Another gopī said,
"My dear friend, when Kṛṣṇa returns home with His cows, the footprint of
the soles of His feet--with flag, thunderbolt, trident, and lotus
flower--relieves the pain the earth feels when the cows traverse it. He walks
in a stride which is so attractive, and He carries His flute. Just by looking
at Him we become lusty to enjoy His company. At that time, our movements
cease. We become just like trees and stand perfectly still. We even forget
what we look like."
Kṛṣṇa had many thousands of cows, and
they were divided into groups according to their colors. They were also
differently named according to color. When He would return from the pasturing
ground, He would find all the cows gathered. As Vaiṣṇavas count 108 beads, which represent
the 108 individual gopīs, so Kṛṣṇa would also chant 108 different groups of cows.
"When Kṛṣṇa returns, He is garlanded with
tulasī leaves," a gopī describes Him to a friend. "He puts His hand
on the shoulder of a cowherd boy friend, and begins to blow His
transcendental flute. The wives of the black deer become enchanted upon
hearing the vibration of His flute, which resembles the vibration of the vīṇā. The deer come to Kṛṣṇa and become so charmed that they
stand still, forgetting their homes and husbands. Like us, who are enchanted
by the ocean of the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa, the she-deer become enchanted by
the vibration of His flute."
Another gopī told
mother Yaśodā, "My dear mother, when your son returns home, He decorates
Himself with the buds of the kunda flower, and just to enlighten and gladden
His friends, He blows His flute. The breeze blowing from the south pleases
the atmosphere because it is fragrant and very cool. Demigods like the
Gandharvas and Siddhas take advantage of this atmosphere and offer prayers to
Kṛṣṇa by sounding their bugles and drums.
Kṛṣṇa is very kind to the inhabitants of
Vrajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana,
and when He returns with His cows and friends, He is remembered as the lifter
of Govardhana Hill. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the most exalted
demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva come down to offer their evening
prayers, and they accompany the cowherd boys in glorifying the qualities of Kṛṣṇa.
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"Kṛṣṇa is compared with the moon, born in
the ocean of the womb of Devakī. When He returns in the evening, it appears
that He is fatigued, but He still tries to gladden the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by His auspicious presence.
When Kṛṣṇa returns, garlanded with flowers, His
face looks beautiful. He walks into Vṛndāvana with a stride just like the elephant and
slowly enters His home. Upon His return, the men, women, and cows of Vṛndāvana immediately forget the
scorching heat of the day."
Such descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes and
activities were remembered by the gopīs during His absence from Vṛndāvana. They give us some idea of Kṛṣṇa's attraction. Everyone and everything
is attracted to Kṛṣṇa--that
is the perfect description of Kṛṣṇa's attraction. The example of the gopīs is very
instructive to persons who are trying to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One can very easily
associate with Kṛṣṇa
simply by remembering His transcendental pastimes. Everyone has a tendency to
love someone. That Kṛṣṇa
should be the object of love is the central point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By constantly chanting
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and remembering the
transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, one can be fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus make his life
sublime and fruitful.
35. Kaṁsa Sends Akrūra for Kṛṣṇa
Vṛndāvana was always absorbed in the
thought of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone remembered His pastimes and was constantly merged in
the ocean of transcendental bliss. But the material world is so contaminated
that even in Vṛndāvana the asuras or demons tried to disturb the peaceful
situation.
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One demon named Ariṣṭāsura entered the village like a
great bull with a gigantic body and horns, digging up the earth with his
hooves. When the demon entered Vṛndāvana, it appeared that the whole land
trembled, as if there were an earthquake. He roared fiercely, and after
digging up the earth on the riverside, he entered the village proper. The
fearful roaring of the bull was so piercing that some of the pregnant cows
and women had miscarriages. Its body was so big, stout and strong that a
cloud hovered over its body just as clouds hover over mountains. Ariṣṭāsura entered Vṛndāvana with such a fearful
appearance that just on seeing this great demon, all the men and women were
afflicted with great fear, and the cows and other animals fled the village.
The situation
became very terrible, and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana began to cry, "Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa, please save us!" Kṛṣṇa also saw that the cows were running
away, and He immediately replied, "Don't be afraid. Don't be
afraid." He then appeared before Ariṣṭāsura and said, "You are the
lowest of living entities! Why are you frightening the inhabitants of Gokula?
What will you gain by this action? If you have come to challenge My
authority, then I am prepared to fight you." In this way, Kṛṣṇa challenged the demon, and the demon
became very angry by the words of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa stood before the bull, resting His hand on the
shoulder of a friend. The bull began to proceed towards Kṛṣṇa in anger. Digging the earth with
his hooves, Ariṣṭāsura
lifted his tail, and it appeared that clouds were hovering about the tail.
His eyes were reddish and moving in anger. Pointing his horns at Kṛṣṇa, he began to charge Him, just like
the thunderbolt of Indra. But Kṛṣṇa immediately caught his horns and tossed him
away, just as a gigantic elephant repels a small inimical elephant. Although
the demon appeared to be very tired and although he was perspiring, he took
courage and got up. Again he charged Kṛṣṇa with great force and anger. While
rushing towards Kṛṣṇa,
he breathed very heavily. Kṛṣṇa again caught his horns and immediately threw
him on the ground, breaking his horns. Kṛṣṇa then began to kick his body, just
as one squeezes a wet cloth on the ground. Being thus kicked by Kṛṣṇa, Ariṣṭāsura rolled over and began to move
his legs violently. Bleeding and passing stool and urine, his eyes starting
from their sockets, he passed to the kingdom of death.
The demigods in the
celestial planets began to shower flowers on Kṛṣṇa for His wonderful achievements. Kṛṣṇa was already the life and soul of
the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, and after killing this demon in the
shape of a bull, He became the cynosure of all eyes. With Balarāma, He
triumphantly entered Vṛndāvana village, and the inhabitants glorified
Him and Balarāma with great jubilation. When a person performs some wonderful
feat, his kinsmen and relatives and friends naturally become jubilant.
It was after this
incident that the great sage Nārada disclosed the secret of Kṛṣṇa. Nārada Muni is generally known as
devadarśana, which means that he can be seen only by demigods or persons on
the same level with the demigods. But Nārada visited Kaṁsa, who was not at all on the level
of the demigods, and yet Kaṁsa saw him. Of course Kaṁsa also saw Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of Nārada Muni, but
generally one must have purified eyes to see the Lord and His devotees. Of
course, by association with a pure devotee, one can derive an imperceptible
benefit, which is called ajñatasukṛti. He cannot understand how he is making
progress, yet he makes progress by seeing the devotee of the Lord. Nārada
Muni's mission was to finish things quickly. Kṛṣṇa appeared to kill the demons, and Kaṁsa was the chief among them. Nārada
wanted to expedite things; therefore, he immediately approached Kaṁsa with all the real information.
"You are to be killed by the eighth son of Vasudeva," Nārada told
Kaṁsa. "That eighth son is Kṛṣṇa. You were misled by Vasudeva into
believing that the eighth issue of Vasudeva was a daughter. Actually, the
daughter was born of Yaśodā, the wife of Nanda Mahārāja, and Vasudeva
exchanged the daughter, so you were misled. Kṛṣṇa is the son of Vasudeva, as is
Balarāma. Being afraid of your atrocious nature, Vasudeva has tactfully
hidden Them in Vṛndāvana,
out of your sight." Nārada further informed Kaṁsa, "Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma have been living
incognito in the care of Nanda Mahārāja. All the asuras, your companions who
were sent to Vṛndāvana
to kill different children, were all killed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma."
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As soon as Kaṁsa got this information from Nārada
Muni, he took out his sharpend sword and prepared to kill Vasudeva for his
duplicity. But Nārada pacified him. "You are not to be killed by
Vasudeva," he said. "Why are you so anxious to kill him? Better try
to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma." But in order to
satisfy his wrath, Kaṁsa arrested Vasudeva and his wife and shackled them
in iron chains. Acting on the new information, Kaṁsa immediately called for the Keśī demon
and asked him to go to Vṛndāvana immediately to fetch Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa. In actuality, Kaṁsa asked Keśī to go to Vṛndāvana to be killed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and thus get salvation.
Then Kaṁsa called for the expert elephant
trainers, Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Śala, Tośala, etc., and he told
them, "My dear friends, try to hear me attentively. At Nanda Mahārāja's
place in Vṛndāvana there are two brothers, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. They are actually two
sons of Vasudeva. As you know, I have been destined to be killed by Kṛṣṇa; there is a prophecy to this effect.
Now I am requesting you to arrange for a wrestling match. People from different
parts of the country will come to see the festival. I will arrange to get those
two boys here, and you will try to kill Them in the wrestling arena."
Wrestling matches are still enjoyed by
the indigenous people in the northern part of India, and it appears from the
statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that 5,000 years ago wrestling was popular. Kaṁsa planned to arrange such a wrestling
competition and to invite people to visit. He also told the trainers of the
elephants, "Be sure to bring the elephant named Kuvalayāpīḍa and keep him at the gate of the
wrestling camp. Try to capture Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma on Their arrival and kill
Them."
Kaṁsa also advised his friends to arrange
to worship Lord Śiva by offering animal sacrifices and performing the sacrifice
called Dhanur-yajña and the sacrifice performed on the fourteenth day of the
moon, known as Caturdaśī. This date falls three days after Ekādaśī, and it is
set aside for the worship of Lord Śiva. One of the plenary portions of Lord
Śiva is called Kālabhairava. This form of Lord Śiva is worshiped by the demons
who offer skinned animals before him. The process is still current in India in
a place called Vaidyanātha-dhāma where the demons offer animal sacrifices to
the deity of Kālabhairava. Kaṁsa belonged to this demonic group. He was also an
expert diplomat, and so he quickly arranged for his demon friends to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
He then called for Akrūra, one of the
descendants in the family of Yadu in which Kṛṣṇa was born as the son of Vasudeva. When
Akrūra came to see Kaṁsa, Kaṁsa very politely shook hands with him and said,
"My dear Akrūra, actually I've no better friend than you in the Bhoja and
Yadu dynasties. You are the most munificent person, so as a friend I am begging
charity from you. Actually I have taken shelter of you exactly as King Indra
takes shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. I request you to go immediately to Vṛndāvana and find the two boys named Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. They are sons of Nanda
Mahārāja. Take this nice chariot, especially prepared for the boys, and bring
Them here immediately. That is my request to you. Now, my plan is to kill these
two boys. As soon as They come in the gate, there will be a giant elephant
named Kuvalayāpīḍa
awaiting, and possibly he will be able to kill Them. But if somehow or other
They escape, They will next meet the wrestlers and will be killed by them. That
is my plan. And after killing these two boys, I shall kill Vasudeva and Nanda,
who are supporters of the Vṛṣṇi and Bhoja dynasties. I shall also kill my father
Ugrasena and his brother Devaka, because they are actually my enemies and are
hindrances to my diplomacy and politics. Thus I shall get rid of all my
enemies. Jarāsandha is my father-in-law, and I have a great monkey friend named
Dvivida. With their help it will be easy to kill all the kings on the surface
of the world who support the demigods. This is my plan. In this way I shall be
free from all opposition, and it will be very pleasant to rule the world
without obstruction. You may know also that Śambara, Narakāsura and Bāṇāsura are my intimate friends, and when
I begin this war against the kings who support the demigods, they will help me
considerably. Surely I shall be rid of all my enemies. Please go immediately to
Vṛndāvana and encourage the boys to come
here to see the beauty of Mathurā and take pleasure in the wrestling
competition."
After hearing this plan of Kaṁsa's, Akrūra replied, "My dear
King, your plan is very excellently made to counteract the hindrances to your
diplomatic activities. But you should maintain some discretion, or your plans
will not be fruitful. After all, man proposes, God disposes. We may make very
great plans, but unless they are sanctioned by the supreme authority, they will
fail. Everyone in this material world knows that the supernatural power is the
ultimate disposer of everything. One may make a very great plan with his
fertile brain, but he must know that he will become subjected to the fruits,
misery and happiness. But I have nothing to say against your proposal. As a
friend, I shall carry out your order and bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma here, as you
desire."
After instructing his friends in
various ways, Kaṁsa
retired, and Akrūra went to Vṛndāvana.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations H H Swami Sri Prabhupada ji, Sri Krishnalilas
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